Volunteer brings ‘Sparkles’ spirit to planting trees

Airport Green — NeighborWoods program volunteer Oliver Sasse proved again why he was given the Airport Green Neighborhood Association’s 2012 Sparkles Award, when he played a significant role in planting 31 trees March 16. Sasse was given the Sparkles award in January because of his efforts to obtain grants in both 2011 and 2012 that resulted in dozens of more trees in the neighborhood. The Vancouver Watershed Alliance sustainability grants let homeowners buy trees for their property at a 50 percent discount. Volunteers helped plant the trees last month with help from the city’s Urban Forestry program and Portland’s Friends of Trees group.